158 comments:

It's a mistake to let your political opponent dictate what you talk about.

I'm not going to watch the ad (I'm in the library, after all, and it's probably noisy), but I think she shouldn't even mention the outlandish things said about her. She should refer to them obliquely as the nonsense they are, then segue into a discussion about how her opponent can't talk about things they're supporting because they are so politically unpopular.

BTW, the approach of the ad was unavoidable. It's the only possible angle for a candidate with no knowledge and nothing to say and no selling point other than her generic empathy and vague sense of voter identification or whatever.

I'm sure Wiccans are all ginned up to vote for the next Republican anyway. They share a lot of the same outlook, such as a belief in magic and the worship of a goddess (who may just happen to be a fertile Alaskan).

Ritmo...Just to say that a person is not a Global Warmist myth maker says a lot. We all live in a mythical realm constructed by Walt Disney and the Media Narrative. Only that style of sincerity , mastered by O'Donnell, exposes the myth makers' substantial weaknesses.

The media narrative is typically a useful and critical one before the reactionaries infiltrate it and warp it for political ends, though, TG. The early days of each medium - Radio, television (Cronkite), internet - were informative until the entertainers decided to use each medium for different purposes.

It's probably an effective ad, but I wish it weren't. It's all emotion, and it's all identity politics. I wish people voted more on the policies and ideologies they prefer than on how well they feel they can connect with the identity of the candidates.

Ritmo...I don't know your age. But you are certainly able to express yourself well. I was alert and watching these Media expressions in the years 1988-1989, when suddenly every spokesperson ceased speaking about the true world events always called news, contrasting that to interesting myths of total fictional creation. From that time on, the fictional myths were spoken of as if true and the news of real happenings was poo-pooed as un-important distractions. Perhaps it was the influence from "de-constructionists". But whatever the origin, it was a universal and simultaneous happening as if someone had flipped a switch. Now, your and my experiences are not real, but movie plots and movie scenes really happened.

Nice ad. Not spectacular, but she comes off as normal and makes the basic point about what she believes.

PS Hope and Change got us 22% unemployment. Fear is what most people have now; the old fear where the rest of their retirement will end up, the working people fear their job will dry up, the young fear not getting a job.

Thanks to Hope and Change, we're all afraid.

PPS I see Ritmo is trying to shout down everybody else and hijack the thread again.

If she's so dumb and so weird, why is he (and Bill Maher) so afraid of her?

I don't, since he basically spurred the classic liberalism movement that modern conservativism has evolved into unlike the social liberalism that has rotten the root of your bankrupt ideology. Got anything else, dummy? So how does this work? If you can't continue to be a vapid windbag, because you constantly get called out on your vacuousness, you resort to cheap smarm? Your God Chomsky would be ashamed of you, I think.

I love how I provide a link of a hot chick working out and Sexy Methy Baby Face Head immediately says I'm not as sexy and in shape as she is.

Dude. If you want to check out bisexual videos you're going to have to use a different site than YouTube.

Oh, you love that huh? Nice wordplay though in interpreting what you think I said to you as you being un-sexy and out of shape. I never said that, you did, but it sounds like you have some personal image issues perhaps. I simply said you couldn't do a 1/10th of the exercises she does, not as an implication of your physical appearance or whatever esteem of beautification you undergo, but rather of your physicality as a function of the time you spend on this blog bloviating.

I'm about as much into Chomsky as Methy Sexy Baby Face Head is into staring at the buns of Thomas Hobbes - (who, by the way, was not the liberal that Locke was and therefore not responsibility for the liberalism of modern conservatism. Or somesuch gobbledygook that would burble out from Sexy Methy Baby Face's Head!)

What a sexpot that Methadras is (with his baby face avatar) when he throws out zingers like "whiny cunt" and pines for the good old days of the 1860s.

Those were sexy times, Meth. Sexy sexy.

I don't pine for the good old days of 1860? I just said that your ode to fear is steeped in your ideological ancestors during those times. You guys cornered and continue to corner fear. Oh, hey, look out crusty old people, the conservatives are going to take away your SS. Oh hey, poor people, watch out for those wily conservatives, they are going to take away your welfare and give you nothing but gruel for payment.

You know the routing right? Next thing you know you are going to start discussing my sexual orientation. I'm surprised you haven't asked me what I'm wearing, you silly dude.

Is your sexual orientation more confused than you let on, Methy Sexy Baby Face Head? I never got the impression you were into comparing videos of women working out with videos of dudes.

Hey, if that's your thing, then go with it. Just don't be let down. Sorry, I don't swing that way.

It's possible that Fen does though.

Bam!!! There it is, like a pulsar. You morons are all the same. Same old, lame attempts at douche baggery with the "your sexuality is in question" meme. So when you are trolling for twinks, which catches your eyes more, the glitter or the Justin Bieber hair?

Dude... I could not imagine a political ad that presented the candidate in a more witch-like way.

The "I'm You" is just downright spooky. Then there's her hypnotizing voice, the straight raven-black hair... Even the fact that she says directly that she's not a witch suggests that she is of 100% witch stock.

I'd still vote for her in a second. I'm so angry at Democrats that Satan himself could run on the Republican line and I'd vote for him.

I think this might get close to encapsulating that restless feeling you seem to be displaying in your many poorly thought comments on this thread...yet they still cut to the heart of human greed, need and materialism...right up your alley.

Dude - just admit you're secretly gay and repressed. Just like every other Republican before and since Ken Melman came out.

I showed you a video of a hot chick in workout clothes and you immediately pondered about a guy.

1. I'm not a republican, therefore by your own vaunted attempt at logic, I'm not gay. I know you wish I was you little cutesy putesy, but I'm not dear. Even if I was, you couldn't handle it.

2. You linked to a video of a hot girl, Zuzana, after you trolled looking for Jim Morrison porn. I called you a prude, because you probably are a closeted asexual, who when having thoughts of a woman breaks out in cold sweats and hives. It's okay though, I know your latent stuttering kind only has the internet, a dark room, and lots of lube to fix what ails you.

It's okay, limpy, I know you would love to sample some of me, but I'm off limits to the peen. Besides, your the one with delusions that I'm gay and think of dudes whenever you link whore to hot women working out on your goo-tube. I bet you've seen all of her videos, well between your workouts I mean. Gotta give yourself some recup time.

I just think O'Donnell is a lousy candidate and everything she does (or has done) just adds more evidence to the pile.

I don't know why it's bad to call a candidate on my side a bad candidate. I do it to the Democrats all the time. I feel like I'm pretty balanced on this. Bill Clinton was a great candidate. Al Gore was a lousy candidate. So was John Kerry.

Hey, I just thought O'Donnell provided funny material. If you guys have a "Don't Feed the Trolls" Policy that applies to potty-mouth, sexually fixated closet cases like Methadras, lemme know. I'll make sure his inanity and man-crush obsession with me doesn't allow me to get sidetracked. Thanks! ;-)

Meth: Stupidity is not an argument. I understand how flustered you feel, but you're not flattering yourself.

Really? Stupidity isn't an argument? Fuck then, I'm confused, you've basically just killed your entire justification for your existence on althouse. I think the only thing that is flustered is you fantasizing about me. How does that make you feel that you have a think for a hetero? It's okay you know, I hear that 10% of hetero men go homo from time to time. You really shouldn't be ashamed of it. We all understand that you have needs, Schtickmo.

or should I start calling you... Stickmo. You know what I'm saying, baby? It's all good.

Hey, I just thought O'Donnell provided funny material. If you guys have a "Don't Feed the Trolls" Policy that applies to potty-mouth, sexually fixated closet cases like Methadras, lemme know. I'll make sure his inanity and man-crush obsession with me doesn't allow me to get sidetracked. Thanks! ;-)

So what is it now, Stickmo. Does my baby-faced, potty mouth give you that oh-no-so-clean pedo feeling? I'm sure either DTL or even Titus are willing to help out with your 'frustrations'. Titus definitely, he would probably even bring his hindi husband into the mix to get you to loosen up a bit, and I'm not talking about your nerves either, pork pie. He'll get you all hogged up. He's cool like that. Don't fight it, go with the flow.

No need to get into the backstory now, but I can't see Fiorina's willingness to go so negative working for her. Nor can I see her (mis?)-management of HP working much charm either. She did lay off a lot of labor before she was laid off/ousted herself.

She's got to have a lot of guts or something to be as cocky as she is with that kind of a history behind her.

Back when I was in high school and suicidal, I was sorta infatuated with a girl who was pretty ugly but good in physics... she was a year older than me and had a pet ferret and was totally into Siouxsie and the Banshees. That's what passed for being a witch in my conservative white hometown.

When I got divorced a few years ago, my ex-wife stayed for a while with a friend of hers who was a bona fide witch. I think this friend was even in a coven. I wonder now whether they-- my ex-wife and her female witch friend, I mean-- were sleeping together. I hope for my ex-wife's sake that she at least tried it once.

Btw... Synova? You around here? I'll bet you're a witch, you look like one... lots of witches there in New Mexico.

DJ: "Dude... I could not imagine a political ad that presented the candidate in a more witch-like way."

True.

Well, then she got the witch vote. Frankly, the ad is bland, simple, and she verbally sloughs off the witch moniker. Either way, it's forgettable, but her populist sentiment with the "I'm you" identity politics won't change much. I hope she wins just because I think she's as cute as a button.

Says the one who has as many comments in the thread as everyone else put together. Note he dassn't mention Coons.

Who cares? As Machos admits, at some level it's just about rooting for a team.

I can't answer for the inability of others to come up with as much material as I can in re: O'Donnell's joke of a candidacy. Why blame me for the lack of thought on the part of others?

I admit it, Edutcher. I'm afraid (and I suppose, Bill Maher is, as well) of the political power of a generic oaf with financial troubles and a history of witchcraft.

That's Hillary!

Any self-respecting tea bagger should really look into O'Donnell's financial woes. The Clintons are financially sound and that's after years of widescale legal persecuation that O'Donnell doesn't have the excuse of claiming.

PS John Stuart Mill is the father of Liberalism, for those who got their education in school rather than from Wiki. Locke was Mr. Property Rights.

Score one for Maguro.

Score none for the bozos who got their intellectual history from Cliff's notes. Property rights was a big part of classical liberalism.

Times change, stances change. And all politics is temporal as well as local. Read up, honeybunch.

The Clintons are financially sound and that's after years of widescale legal persecuation that O'Donnell doesn't have the excuse of claiming.

They did not pay one red cent for their legal representation. A legal fund was set up, millions were raised. They got multi-million dollar legal representation free and did not pay one red cent in taxes on it.

I figure they owe the government about fifty million or so, with penalties and interest. Remember ole Festus saying he grinned every time he supposedly paid taxes? Yeah, some effing hypocrites they are. Scum of the earth.

Oh, my God...she's "bewitching me. I'm going to vote for her because she's HOT and she's NOT a Witch.

The Senate could use a little Witchcraft around Halloween. The brouhaha around this candidate is going to overflow the cauldron and on November 3rd, we'll wake up to the surprise election of Senator O'Donnell as liberals commit hari kari all over the blogosphere and beyond.

I always though Russ and Althouse would of made a fab Madison power couple. Watching Althouse wave to the crowds from the stages holding Russ's hand and kissing him would of been incred. Fucking Meade.

@ John Stewart Ritmo...You are on a roll tonight. But I sense no passion in you for or against Christine. At least Rove was furious at her for trespassing on his turf. I'll give you Coons plus 3000 votes if you will bet on the election. The loser has to defame his favorite politician in 5 consecutive comments. My favorite is "My Girl Friend Sarah Palin", as my wife calls her. You have to declare your favorite too. It's not John Edwards is it?

I probably got higher SAT scores than Palin and O'Donnell combined. Nonetheless, I am positive that Palin is a much smarter and more complete human being than I am. (The jury is still out on O'Donnell.) Liberals are forever telling us that there are other, worthier metrics than civil service test scores on which to judge applicants. But when conservatives push forward an affirmative action hire, they are quick to play the IQ card.....Maybe mental acuity is not all that important for a US Senator. Does anyone really think that Byrd, Lautenberg, Thurmond, and so many other senators were even able to dress themselves at the end of their distinguished careers. I'd give higher marks for collegiality, honesty, and shared values than for intelligence. Don't we deserve a Maxine Waters?

Like, "I may have dated a warlock a couple times when I was 18, but at least I didn't vote for cap and trade. That would have been unforgivable. And I never thought communism was the answer, or voted for larger government like my opponent does. That is the road to bankruptcy.

Or went humorous. After all, the current Senate is a lot worse than a coven of pagans.

I see this ad as the opener for a campaign culminating with some intensity on issues near the end as well as some informative pieces about the other candidate.

This is how things work with a time line - you start mellow with a pleasant introduction and build the persona over time. The first thing is to clear the image of trash from the MSM and opposition and unfortunately the traditional GOP forces that aligned with Castle. That, only that, it's only a short piece and you build from a foundation. This is a cornerstone ad. If this is the set up I see - she'll win going away; a political mini-series concluding with a victory celebration.

of course deficits matter. however, did you know that we pay less in interest on the debt now then 15 years ago? and while you love to scream about Obama debt, where was your screaming during the last 8 years when bush doubled the debt? and the first year of obama's administration was bush's 2009 budget..or did you forget that?

did you forget 7 years of off the books war spending? or the medicare drug giveaway? what about that?

don't lay the debt at the foot of Obama. that is a straw dog and you know it.

If the war spending is out of control, Obama can end these wars immediately, Bush isn't President anymore. Can't afford the Medicare drug giveaway? The Democratic control of the House, Senate, and the POTUS could have ended it. But they didn't. Their only response was to spend more money. Three times as much.

allens...the democrats have numerical control of the senate but the republicans stop debate on now over 200 bills passed by the house, on countless judicial appointments and government appointments requiring senate approval.

that argument doesn't wash. if one part of the congress stops a bill it goes nowhere so these 40 control the operations of government and you know it. don't argue that because it isn't true.

You sound like the guy who thinks he is the smartest guy in room which probably makes you are dumbest guy around.

I am willing to bet that Palin's SAT scores were higher the Obama's if she took them. Although the schools she attended are ACT schools and she probably only had to take them for her first admission. I am pretty sure that given her accomplishments and her quick learning curve her IQ is higher than yours as well.

I don't know enough about O'Donnell to make a guesstament on her SATs or IQ so I will leave the comparison unmade.

I also detect a little snide snobbery by Professor Althouse in this entry. I just want to remind her that she got fooled by Obama and perhaps should be a little humble in assessing political candidates in the future.

Jeez, with a name like "Ritmo," how can anyone take you seriously? All kidding aside, "Ritmo," the fact is that more and more Americans are sick and tired of being taxed to death and controlled by an extreme-left, out-of-touch, arrogant liberal elite (and then being told how racist and un-American they are for objecting). Under the circumstances, "I Am You" is a perfectly acceptable message to give.

You need to know what they required when Palin applied. When I went to university no public school between the Appalachians and the Sierras took anything other than the ACT. It's actually a better test then the SAT because it measures what you know.

@jerryofva: You misread my post. My life experience has taught me and continues to teach me that relatively high SAT scores do not correlate with success or wisdom or the ability to communicate (get the irony). I explicitly said that Palin is smarter than me. Let me add that that is not such a high hurdle. Let me further add that intelligence can solve only a small fraction of life's problems and that people who can divide fractions in their head oftimes have too high an opinion of their ability to solve problems.

"I understand that there has been a great deal of speculation about just who I am and how I got here. Well, the answer is simple. I'm you. I'm just like you. I'm an average American who found herself in a situation not of her own making.

I'm a suburban mom, who was a military wife for 20 years, and a faithful government employee for 18 years.

I never, ever asked to be placed in this position. Because I am just like you."

Weasel #2 / Christine O'Donnell, today:

"I'm not a witch. I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you.

None of us are perfect. But none of us can be happy with what we see all around us: politicians who think spending, trading favors and back-room deals are the ways to stay in office. I'll go to Washington and do what you'd do.

But her opponent is a Communist. So that is real choice. O'Donnell who gives you the creeps (beats me why) or a supporter of mass murder.

By the way I know lots of conservative catholics who are leftists like almost the entire US conference of Bishops. Except for abortion they have endorsed the entire Obama program. So I am unimpressed with you Moby-like statement about your conservatism.